Late arrival

Hi everyone!


I would like to start off this E-mail with an apology - I was not able to finish this general E-mail within the first hour block of my doing E-mails. However, I did plan on finishing this, as well as my other E-mails, at 6:00 that day. This is still quite a bit later than normal, because I actually had a service project planned which I had already volunteered for, which I was told was to end at about 6:00. Specifically, I was helping to move computers from Rootstech back in to storage. Simple enough, right? Well, there were over 400 computers which needed to be moved. Also, these were all-in-one setups, on which the computer itself was built in to the monitor. It turns out that the people who had organized the project actually expected it to end at around 9:00. We were actually lucky, and got finished with it at 7:30, but by then, everything was already closed down, and so I was unable to finish my E-mails. So, I am so sorry to everyone who was patiently waiting for my E-mail to come in that day - especially you, Mom. However, in the future, when I know I have a service project like this coming up, I will just take both hours for my E-mails all at once to avoid this in the future. Either way, I am grateful that I was able to get permission to complete my second hour of E-mails today. (Also, it should be noted that all except this, the last part, and the challenge was written last Saturday, so certain words, like yesterday, should be read as if today were still Saturday).

Well, things have been well this week, as they always are. I am still happy here, and I am thankful for every second on this mission. Also, by this point, I have had a lot of them - exactly ten days from now will be my one-year mark! I have just about made it to my halfway-point in the mission. Well, technically, I have already passed this point - missionaries here actually serve twenty-three month missions (due to our not spending a month in an MTC). This means that I will be released February of next year. But, no point in worrying about that just yet - I still have a calling to fulfill, lives to bless, work to be done, and a mission to serve! And though it has been - and will be - a pretty bumpy ride, that's alright - I always though of that sort of trip to be more exciting anyway!

Of course, it hasn't always been fun, necessarily - last week, I ran out of mission funds due to a bit of excessive impulse buying, one thing I have had a problem with. Of course, I was able to get by mostly with mission funds, but I did have to break in to my personal funds, which I regret. But, as it was the end of the month, I have gotten refilled again. So, I have now resolved to be much more careful with my money than I have been before. I have talked to another missionary here about this, and he gave me some good advise on the subject, which I plan on applying. I have also been collaborating meals with my companion, though he doesn't seem to want to do a ton of collaborated meals. That is fine by me - I understand where he is coming from. So, we have reached a compromise in which we only collaborate a couple of dinners each week. I think we can both live with that. All in all, I will be more careful with my money in the future.

I don't know if I mentioned this in my last E-mail, but another change of last transfer is that I have now been released from my calling as an exercise coordinator. It is a bit of a relief for me, now that I am released. It does feel quite different to me though - to not be as involved with the program. I am not complaining though - for everything, there is a season. I also think that mission leadership felt that it was a bit much to juggle district leadership and being an exercise coordinator. I should also note that another of the coordinators, Elder K. Young, was also released as he went home. So, that gives us two new coordinators for the program, Elders Hunsaker and Coleman (names are included for returned missionaries who have known them who are on my E-mail list). I do look forward to seeing what they do with the program. I think it was headed in a pretty good direction when I left, so I look forward to seeing what happens there.

I should also include that the Family History Library has been quite busy this week - this is because, as some of you may know, Rootstech has come to town! For those of you who don't know what exactly Rootstech is, I will describe it as such: think ComicCon, but instead of nerds, it's genealogists. More specifically, it is a family history-based convention put on by FamilySearch every year in Salt Lake City. Of course, the occurrence of such an event doesn't have direct affects on my service as a missionary - young elders have not been given permission to attend (oh well, I will be released just in time for next year). However, this sort of event does bring in genealogists from all over the world. It should also be noted that the event takes place in a convention center less than a full city block away from the family history library. As you can imagine, this means that the library is bursting at the seams with people looking to use the resources there. As a result, in other zones have been quite busy. This has some effects which will be noted hereafter.

The church's family history department has recently held it's annual appreciation events for the missionaries who serve here. The main event was a devotional held in the tabernacle on Temple Square, at which some of the people at the head of the family history department shared some messages. However, the young elders were not permitted to attend that (I guess someone had to run the other zones). Instead, we were given a pizza party in the library. So, I can't say we have been completely left out. Free food is always a nice incentive for us on the mission. There were a couple short messages shared there as well, so we didn't exactly miss out.

We have had our monthly temple session yesterday as well (I will just call it a session from now on, as we only go on an actual trip about once every third month). It was, as usual, at the Salt Lake temple. That went well, though I will say I actually recognized one of the temple workers there from a picture in the mission office - it was the former President Workman, who presided over this mission before President Tate. We didn't exactly get to chat though, which is fine, I didn't really know him at all anyway. But, it just goes to show that it is a small world (or church) after all. It was good for me to attend the temple, especially since I didn't get to come along last month due to my companion not feeling that well. Spiritual experiences like this are what remind us why this gospel is so important, so it is important to make them a priority. This is something I will have to work towards.

Well, it has been good to be able to actually get an E-mail out to everyone back home. I am still sorry for the somewhat inconveniently late E-mail, and I hope that this sort of occurrence does not happen again in the future. I hope everyone has a great week. Thanks again for the support!



From,

Elder Bryce Petersen



Challenge: A wise man has once suggested that there are some things which, when loosed, cannot be recalled, no matter how much you wished you could. Such things include a spent arrow, a spoken word, and a missed opportunity. I would like to take some time to discuss this second item - a spoken word. No matter who you are, and how important and popular you may think yourself to be (or, more specifically, to not be), your words do have power. They have power to either build up, or break down. On this note, words spoken in anger all too effective at performing the latter. For this purpose, one must watch what he says at all times, and try not to get angry over things that do not really matter. However, though a flown arrow cannot be recalled, when you do find that you have said things you regret, the next best thing that can be done is making retribution. This almost always includes an apology of some sort. It is important to note that apology has more power than earning forgiveness for something you have done - it also has the power to heal the one administering the apology. This is why it is important to apologize, even if you feel the other person has forgiven you. My challenge to you this week is to avoid anger over things that are not that important (which, in this context, includes almost everything) above all else. Also, make sure that you watch your language, that you don't say things to hurt other people, and when you found that you have done so, make an effort to apologize - even if you fell you have already been forgiven, or if you are not the one at fault. Doing so will heal the soul, and help to repair any rifts that may have been caused between people.